Flower Crowns
by Awinters25
Summary: Eliana Shepard has a surprise for her girlfriend, Tali. (Takes place after Priority: Rannoch) F/F pairing.


The dining table in the mess hall was covered in a sea of color. Pinks, blues, yellows, purples: different variations of each flower scattered in piles in front of her, hues pleasant to the eye. The scent of each bud floated on the air, mixing into a perfume that was both sweet and comforting. Her hands were sore from shaping floral wire, but in the end, she knew the effort would be worth it. To hear the smile in Tali'Zorah's voice when she realized they were for her, all for her, was enough of a reason for Eliana to dismiss any discomfort on her part.

Jack said she was "fucking stupid" for participating in such a pointless activity. Eliana didn't mind the silliness of it. She loved using her hands to create, to mold something beautiful, instead of destroying. Being a soldier was exhausting, but being the commander of a ship was even more taxing. The emotional wear and tear could break a weak minded person, but the Normandy had Eliana Shepard. She did everything she was supposed to: killing enemies of the Alliance, trying to appease the Council, and keeping her crew happy, healthy, and safe. Most of the time these kept her busy, kept her mind racing. When the crew of the Normandy was allowed a moment's rest, Commander Shepard took advantage of it.

The demands of her day to day life weighed heavily on her mind and finding that small amount of peace was a miracle in itself. It was a vacation to her. Humming a tune under her breath, Eliana bent more of the wire into a circlet. Once the wire kept its shape, the commander reached for the first of many flowers that she would weave into a crown.

The sound of footsteps entering the mess hall didn't deter her from her work and instead, brought a grin to her face. She knew the crew would poke fun at her. She loved it when they did. It made her feel normal, like one of the team again, not their "Commander."

"Shepard?" A sweet voice spoke, the electronic buzz of her helmet making her words sound more robotic than human at times. "What are you doing?"

Eliana, her thick, dark hair falling in her face, glanced at the petite quarian woman who stood beside her. "It was supposed to be a surprise."

Tali stared at the mass of flowers spread out across the table. A quick look at Shepard's hands brought a distressed noise from her. "_Keelah_, your hands."

Pulling the wire and flowers from Eliana's grip, Tali placed them on the table before reaching out to take the commander's hands between her own. They were red, the skin broken in places from her struggle with the wire and the thorns on the roses she had bought.

"They're fine, Tali. I've been _shot_ before. A few cuts aren't going to kill me." Eliana said, brushing off the quarian's worry.

"It may not _kill_ you, but I don't like seeing you hurt, no matter how small the cuts are." Tali stated forcibly, refusing to release Eliana's hands. Her fingers brushed gently over the injury. "What are you trying to make, anyway?"

Eliana retrieved one of her hands from Tali, leaving the other to be tended lovingly. The fabric of Tali's enviro-suit felt cool against her skin. Lifting the completed flower crown, she showed her girlfriend her project. "I made it for you. You wear it on your head. Like a crown."

Tali examined it before a giggle exploded from her. "Wear it on my head? I wear a helmet, Shepard."

Eliana smiled. She had missed Tali immensely when the quarian tech specialist had returned to the Migrant Fleet, determined to reclaim her homeworld from the Geth. To hear that laugh again, there was nothing in the world that made her happier. "I was thinking that maybe you could wear it on Rannoch… you know, _after_ the war. To celebrate your homecoming."

Tali was silent for a moment. When she spoke, her voice was choked with tears. "Shepard, I-"

Shepard squeezed her hands lightly. She knew how much Rannoch meant to the quarian people, how much it meant to Tali. "I'm proud of all you've accomplished, Tali. Not just with Rannoch. With your pilgrimage, with your promotion to Admiral. You deserve this. You deserve some peace, some happiness."

"And where will you be?" Tali asked, trying to stop the tears that Shepard couldn't see, but knew were there behind the helmet.

"I'll be standing there, beside you." Shepard whispered to her, knowing in her heart that if she was meant to be with Tali, nothing would get in her way to make sure they would have a future. "If you'll have me."

Tali launched herself into a hug, squeezing Eliana tightly. With a chuckle, the commander wrapped her arms around the woman she loved and held on with all she had.


End file.
